• Paige Brown is a businesswoman and philanthropist, formerly married to comedian Jeff Dunham.
• She has a net worth of over $20 million, earned through various successful endeavors.
• She grew up in Florida, and attended Clemson University to complete a business degree.
• She was highly involved in her then-husband's career, running the merchandising side of the business, starting a publishing company, and creating a fan club.
• After their divorce, she became an advocate for women going through divorce and continues to do charity work.
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Who is Paige Dunham?
Paige Brown was born on 13 March 1968, in Savannah, Georgia, USA, and is a businesswoman as well as a philanthropist, but probably best known for being the former wife of comedian Jeff Dunham. She was reputedly responsible for many of his successful projects during their time together.
The Net Worth of Paige Dunham
How rich is Paige Dunham? As of early 2020, sources estimate a net worth that is over $20 million, earned through various successful endeavors. She gained significant wealth from her divorce settlement from Jeff, as he has a net worth of over $140 million.
As she continues her endeavors in business, it is expected that her personal wealth will also continue to increase.
Early Life and Educaiton
While Paige was born in Savannah, her family later moved to Amelia Island, Florida where she would grow up. She developed a strong interest in dance early in life, fueled by the fact that her family owned their own dance studio. Her family moved to West Palm Beach Florida where she matriculated from high school, then enrolled at Clemson University to complete a degree in business.
The university is located in South Carolina, and was founded in 1889. It is the second largest university in South Carolina in terms of student population, with over 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students with a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. Its campus spans 1,400 acres and sits beside Lake Hartwell. They manage a nearby 17, 500 acre forest called Clemson Experimental Forest, used for research, experiments, and recreation. They have seven colleges, and US News & World Report ranks the university as tied in 24th place among all national public universities.
Business Endeavors and Behind the Scenes Work
While Paige was raising her family, she would become highly involved in her then husband’s career as a comedian. She helped with comedy material, pitched ideas, and also ran the merchandising side of the business. She started the database for his online fan club, which would become a key component for Jeff’s win at the American Comedy Awards as Best Male Stand Up Comic. She also put up newsletters, helped design merchandise, and created an online store. In 1999 she launched Brasma Publications, which would be responsible for several books surrounding Dunham’s numerous characters.
The first book the company published was “Dear Walter” in 2003, which showcased a collection of questions and answers from his puppet Walter. Three years later, she and Jeff created the Dunham Foundation, which aimed to take a portion of his earnings from stand-up shows and help people in need. She also organized meet and greet events, while being responsible for raising $35,000 to help Hurricane Katrina victims. After their divorce, she began focusing on children’s charities, and continues with fundraisers as well as other related endeavors.
Former Husband – Jeff Dunham
Jeffrey Dunham is a stand-up comedian, setting himself apart from other acts by performing through ventriloquism. He’s become highly popular, leading him to appear in numerous television shows such as “Comedy Central Presents”, and “Late Show with David Letterman”. He has released six specials through Comedy Central – including “Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself”, “Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity”, Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters”, “Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map”, and “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special”. He’s gained a lot of attention for his ventriloquism characters, and has been credited for reviving the art.
He has been named as America’s favorite comedian, according to the publication “Slate”, and in North America is the top-grossing standup act; he is also one of the most successful acts in Europe. He has sold millions of dollars worth of DVDs and merchandise, while his character Achmed the Dead Terrorist YouTube video is ranked as the ninth most watched of all time. He is ranked by Forbes as the third highest paid comedian in the US, behind Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. He’s achieved the Guinness World Record for most tickets sold for a stand-up comedy tour.
In my latest comedy special, JEFF DUNHAM: BESIDE HIMSELF, Bubba J & I discuss the important women in his life… Per usual Bubba J proves there’s more than meets the eye. Watch the full clip here: https://t.co/DwSb6Xztqs pic.twitter.com/HFIDeqM1eF
— Jeff Dunham (@jeffdunham) November 13, 2019
Personal Life and Social Media
For her personal life, it is known that Paige met Jeff at a comedy club in West Palm Beach in 1992, and were married two years later, with Jeff adopting her daughter from a previous relationship. They then had two children together, but Jeff’s time away due to his work proved to become one of the biggest detriments to the marriage. In 2008 he filed for separation, and the following year started a relationship with Audrey Murdick, whom he would later marry.
Paige and Jeff’s divorce was finalized in 2012, and since then she has become an advocate for women going through divorce. She continues to do charity work. Similar to numerous philanthropists and businesswomen, she was active online through social media, having an account on the website Twitter, but hasn’t been active on the account since late-2018. Prior to her inactivity, she mainly shared some of her daily thoughts, while also promoting some of the work of her friends. The account has been notably less active after her separation and divorce from Jeff.